Improvement in revolving fire-arms



J. A WH A'LEN. REVOLVING FIREARM.

No. 35,052. Patented Apr. 22, 1-862.

UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE;

JAMES A. WHALEN', or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK}- IMPROVEMENT. IN REVOLVlN G'FlRE-ARMS.

Specifieationforming part of Letters Patent No. 35,052, dated April 22, 1862;

179 all whom it may concern:

;-2' Be it known that I, JAMES A. WHALEN, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Revolving Ord-i any circumstances desirable, are provided for.

The principal objects of the invention are, first, to provide, by the use of two or more cylinders that may be quickly changed at pleasure, for the rapidrepetition of the discharge of re- ,,volvin g ordnance or small-arms without overheating the chambers; second, to provide for the loading of a piece of ordnance, arranged on the deck of a ship or other vessel or in barbette', by men below the deck or water-line, or

below the embrasure through which the gun is fired.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Ais the barrel, rigidly secured to a strong horizontal frame, B, within which the manychambered cylinder 0 is arranged to rotate about its axis. The cylinder 0 has its axis arranged parallel with the bore of the barrel and its chambers a a parallel with its axis, as in most revolvers. It is bored centrally throughout for the reception of the axis-pins b and c, and counterbOred from the rear for the reception of a spiral spring, d,which is coiled round the pin b and the. counterbore has inserted in its rear a bush, e, to which both pins b and o' are fitted, the said bush leaving room enough for the necessary movement of the spring lengthwise of the cylinder. The pin b is of a length not greater than that of the cylinder,

so that it may be contained within the 'cylin-.

der without protruding from either end thereof;

pressed forward, as will be presently described.

The other pin, 0, is arranged to work parallel with the barrel through the back partof the.

cylinder-frame B, exactly opposite to a hole, f, that is provided in the front part of the said frame, to constitute a bearing for the front end of the pin b,- and the said pin 0 has applied to it within the frame a spring, g, which is so much strou ger than the one,d,applied to the pin b that when the cylinder is placed intheframe, with the pin b opposite to c and f, the said pin b will be pressed forward into the hole f, and thepin 0 will enter the cylinder, and thecylinder will thus be heldiin place and supported in such a manner as to permit its rotation about its axis, the pin b turning with the cylinder and in the bearingf and the pin 0 being stationary.

The cylinder, secured and supported as described, can be released from the frame by simply drawing back the pin 0 by power applied to its rear end,which protrudes through stop It, which'is employed to arrest the cylin-' der in its rotation with theehambers opposite to the barrel, requires to be drawn back along with the pin 0.

The stop h, above mentioned, consists of a short round-ended bolt arranged to work in the back of the frame B parallel with the pin- 0, and to enter a series of notches in the rear of the cylinder. spring, t, which throws it forward into the notches of the cylinder, but permits ittojbe moved back by the-pressure against it of the beveled sides of the said notches when power is applied to the cylinder to produce its rotation. The movement of the stop It to stop and permit the rotation of the cylinder is independent of the 'pin 0; but when the pin is drawn back to release the cylinder it is made This bolt has applied to it to draw back the stop by its action upon an arm, j, attached to the latter. This arm j has e the back part of the frame B is fitted with a. -'stee1recoil-plate,D, which,being movable on taking out the screws Z l which secure it in place, provides for the insertion and adjustmentof the springs g and i.

The rotation of the cylinder may be efl'ected by any suitable means. In Fig. 2 it is shown with ratchet-notches m m in its periphery, to

be acted upon by a spring-pawl, 41, attached to.a lever, E, arranged to. work up and down between the cylinder and one side of the frame in a cavity, 12, provided for it in the frame.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent, is-

The two pins 1) c and their springs d and g,

applied, in combination with each other. and 

